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(No Model.)

L. B. SPERRY.

REUTAL SPEOULUM.

No. 328,619. Patented Oct. 20, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LYMAN B. SPERRY, OF BELLEVUE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES P. LYTLE,

' OF TISKILWA, ILLINOIS.

RECTAL SPECULUM.

SPECis'LCATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,619, dated October 20, 1885.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LYMAN B. SPERRY, of Bellevue, in the county of Huron and State of Ohio, have invented a new, useful, and Improved Rectal Speculum, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view. Fig. 2 is a rear end view. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is an enlarged rear end view in detail. Fig. 5 is avertical longitudinal sectional view on the line w m, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the removable plug, and Fig. 7 is a trans versesectional view ofthetubewhen expanded. Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the different figures.

The object of my invention is to obtain an expansible rectal speculum provided with an adj ustable removable plug, so constructed that it may be either wholly removed from the tube or retained therein, and while there adjusted so as to permit an examination of the tissues to be treated,as may be found most desirable. A further object is to provide a slot or opening throughout the entire length of the tube, a portion or all of which may be closed at will by means of a suitable slide in conjunction with said plug, while at the same time said tube may be expanded or contracted without causing a displacement of said slide or plug, all of which will be hereinafter more particularly described, and definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A represents the body or tube of the speculum, which is preferably constructed of thin sheet metal, sufficiently tempered to cause it to assume its original diameter after being temporarily expanded,which may be accomplished by means of handles ca, rigidly attached thereto, as shown, and connected by means of a screw-threaded rod, a, loosely attached to one of said handles and passing through the other, to which it is adjusted by means of one or more set-screws, a a. Said tube is open at both ends and is provided with a slot extending through its entire length, as more clearly shown, partly in full and partly in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Said slot is partially covered by a removable slide, B, which is preferably about two-thirds of the length of the tube, and is provided with double flanges b I) (better shown in Fig. 4) upon its respective sides, between which the edges of the shell or tube A are inserted, thus enabling said slide B to retain its position, while at the same time it permits the tube A to be expanded or contracted at will. A handle or lug, b, is rigidly attached to said slide to enable the operator to move the same back and forth, said forward movement-beinglimited by slight enlargements or shoulders I; 1) upon the tube. Within said tube I insert a removable plug, 0, the end 0 of which is intended to protrude through the end of the tube A,as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 5, and is preferably of apara-- boloidal shape, the diameter of the bulb portion being somewhat larger than the interior of the end of the tube, so that when inserted it cannot be withdrawn without slightly ex panding the end of the latter. Said plug is provided with a neck, 0, which should be of sufficient length to meet the end of the slide B when the latter is in its normal position. A portion of said neck 0 is hollowed or cut away in a concave conoidal form, as at 0 Figs. 3 and 6, the greatest width of said concave portion being preferably about that of the normal width of the slot in the tube A. A stem, 0 having an outwardly curved or bent handle, 0, is rigidly attached to the neck of said plug. The handle of said stem is provided with a forwardly-projecting flange, 0 which, when the plug is inserted within the tube, is caused to overlap the edge thereof, and thus limit the forward movement of said plug, while the stem 0 is thereby closely retained against the interior of the tube. At the same time the retractile pressure of the tube upon the neck 0 and against the base of the bulb c prevents an accidental displacement of the latter, as an expansion of the tube is necessary to permit its withdrawal. This is preferably accomplished by pressing together the handles a a; but it is obvious that it may be done by simply pulling upon the handle of the plug. WVhile the plug 0 is thus normally retained securely in position it is at the same time loose and free to be revolved at will within said tube by means of a lateral pressure upon the handle a".

Before inserting the speculum within the rectum of a patient the tube should be permitted to contract to its full extent, the slide B should be pressed forward, as in Fig. 1, and the handle 0 turned to the top, as in Figs. 1 and 2, thus revolving the plug and bringing the convex portion of the neck 0 opposite the slot, which is therebyclosed throughout its entire length. The speculum is then inserted and the plug rotated until the handle is in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5, when a sufficient portion of the slot is opened to permit an inspection of the diseased parts. Should greater space be required, either for inspection or treatment, the slide B may be partially or gholly withdrawn, or the plug 0 removed, or

The concave conoidal form of the neckof the plug is of importance in that when the speculum is withdrawn without removing the plug the tissues or tumors protruding within the slot are gently and gradually compressed and caused to slide out upon said portion of the plug without being pinched or scraped by the edges of the tube, while the expansible feature of the latter enables the operator when the plug is removed to gradually enlarge said slot as the tube is withdrawn, which permits the tumors or diseased tissues when compressed within the slot to pass out with less pain to the patient. Another advantage of said speculum is that, by reason of its contraction, it may be inserted with less distention of the sphincter muscle and less inconvenience to the subject operated upon than if its diameter could not be thus reduced.

I am aware that conical, rounded, and tapering protruding plugs have been used in rectal spectula having open entering ends, and I do not claim, broadly, a protruding plug having a conical shaped end; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In an expansible speculum having a tube formed from a single piece of tempered sheet metal, a removable plug provided with an enlarged protruding paraboloidal shaped end, the base of which is made somewhat smaller than the protruding portion, whereby the end of the tube may exert ayielding pressure against the tapered base of said plug, substantially as set forth.

4. In a speculum open at both ends, the removable protruding-plug 0, having a receding or tapering base, and a neck, 0, provided with the concave conoidal portion 0, the edges of which are rounded, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In a speculum, the removable plug 0, provided with the concave conoidal portion 0 stem 0 and flange 0 substantially as described.

6. In an expansible speculum, the tube A,

- constructed from spring metal and provided with handles a a, in combination with the selfadjusting slide B and plug 0, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

LYMAN B. SPERRY. Witnesses:

J. H. BRINKER, J. B. MILLER. 

